Blogs

The Cardinals have made a move in search of an outside linebacker, releasing Cyril Obiozor — who had been claimed on waivers after preseason cutdowns and was active only for the Atlanta game — and signing linebacker Alex Hall.

The Cardinals also released linebacker Curtis Gatewood from the practice squad.

Hall, 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, was a seventh-round pick of Cleveland in 2008 (when current Cards’ director of pro personnel T.J. McCreight was still there). A college defensive end from St. Augustine, he was part of a multi-player-and-pick trade between the Browns and Eagles. The Eagles cut him before camp, he signed with the Giants, and then was cut before the season.

I like this move. For the future. However, I bought season tickets this year!!!! I want a move that brings results now. The Cards Fans were waiting for some great FA signing right before the season. We never got it. And it is obvious we needed it. I’m sorry Whiz, but I don’t trust you. How is DA an improvement over Lienart? Why didn’t we keep Dansby? we have the money. I know we do. This is just bull.
We were sold on a winning atmosphere. We are used to the playoffs now. The fans demand a certain level of play from our players. Personally, I thought Matt should of been given this year, even if he sucked as bad as DA does, which I doubt, at least we could say he put in the time here and it didn’t work. now I am left to wonder if check down Matt would have done better than I can’t be accurate even with a 5 yard pass Derrick. I mean seriously, I only play back yard football, but I could do better than DA. not exaggerating at all.
Another thing. STOP LEAVING OUR D ON THE FIELD FOR THE WHOLE GAME!!!!! If DA can’t throw a decent pass at least gameplan around that for a few first downs.

People say that the Cards are trying to become Pittsburgh West, but the addition of Hall seems more like Cleveland Browns circa 2008.
Other than Hall, the team has Hamza Abdullah, Derek Anderson, Rex Hadnot, Brandon McDonald and Jason Wright from that 2008 team.
That squad finished 4-12.
Couldn’t have we picked up D’Qwell Jackson instead?

My bad they are addressing pass rush..I think but this guy isn’t about to do anything some, so lets not get excited. Maybe down the line if he has any skills…7th rd pick thats a stretch. O’Brien Schofield needs to wrap his knee with some duck-tape and get his butt on the field, Gerald Hayes, too.

91M doesn’t buy a whole lot of talent in the NFL these days. We’re in the bottom 5 teams regarding money spent on player salaries. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guys we have, but it seems like the BidLows may have handicapped us again. I don’t get it, why during an uncapped year, with plenty of talent in the free agent pool would they do that? I’m sure I am missing something, but it seems like they don’t care as much about winning as other owners.

DRC#1 FAN you probably weren’t a Cardinals fan before they made it to the Super Bowl so let me tell you about a game where we got slaughtered by about 40 points against the Patriots. It was only about 5 games prior to our Super Bowl visit, Kurt Warner was our quarterback at the time, and we looked just as bad then as we did this last Sunday. It’s a long season with many ups and downs. Any of you supposed Cardinals fans who are still calling for Leinart are ridiculous. Leinart sucks! Do you think the organization wanted to cut someone that knew the system, tht they had invested millions in??? No they didn’t. THe reason they did is because Leinart’s overall performance from the day we drafted him until the day we cut him was worse than subpar. We are likely to be 2-1 after this week which sounds good to me. If it doesn’t sound good to anyone else you definitely aren’t a reasonable person.

I agree with BC… It’s a long season and a game against Oakland at home should tell us a lot more about where we are. Playing a team that is very much like the 49ers in my opinion… good defense, talented players on offense especially at RB…. but not much consistency.

With the Cardinals’ payroll the 4th Lowest in the League at $98.6 Million for 2010 (per Mike Florio, the minimum spending threshold would have been approximately $120 Million if the NFL had a salary cap in place for 2010) and the Cardinals’ performance through 2 games (1/8th of the season) against the lowly Rams and respectable Falcons (without their #1 WR and first 2 RB’s), how would you evaluate the decisions from the front office to trade Anquan Boldin (instead of re-signing him) and to allow Karlos Dansby to leave via free-agency (I understand the Cardinals made a competitive offer, but obviously they weren’t willing to significantly outbid the Dolphins)?

Are the Cardinals better off spending less on payroll than 28 other teams in the NFL? Do you think saving another $3 Million by not singing Marc Bulger to compete with Leinart and Anderson is worth the additional profitablility to the team (put on your “owner’s” thinking cap)?

Clearly, if the Cardinals as an organization were willing to commit the type of capital their competitors have committed for 2010 (and would have otherwise been required to with a minimum spending limit in 2010), they could have retained Boldin and Dansby while bringing in the same free agents they did + Marc Bulger. With Kurt Warner retiring and forgoing $10 million plus in 2010 compensation, and with Rolle being cut and guys like Berry and Okeafor retiring/not being retained, I just think the Cardinals could have done much, more more to i.)minimally retain their supremacy in the NFC West and ii.) at best, actually continue to progress with an 11 or 12 win season.

While I’m certainly not ready to write off the season yet, I think we can all agree that there are some glaring deficiencies on this team right now that could have been addressed/mitigated by retaining Dansby and Boldin and bringing in a guy like Marc Bulger. And please don’t try to convince season ticket holders that another ugly win against another lowly team like the Raiders on Sunday means that the Cardinals are a quality football team. Wins against the Rams and Raiders to start the season 2-1 do not mean that the Cardinals are on the same trajectory they’ve been on the last 2 years.

For those of us who have followed this team since its arrival in AZ and whose families have purchased season tickets every year since then, I think we are just very sad and frustrated to see that the front office/Bidwills did not do everything possible (within reason) to keep this team at a competitive level. No one is suggesting that the “foolish” spending of the Cowboys and Redskins is necessary, but it churns at my insides to see that we are spending the 4th lowest in the NFL and are $20 million plus below the projected minimimum spending requirement for 2010 if the CBA were not set to expire.

Perhaps you’ll have a chance to sit down with Rod Graves to try to understand the rationale behind
the team’s miserly spending this year and how it impacts plans for 2011 and beyond.

Once again, the payroll and cap spending are not the same thing. I’m not saying the Cards haven’t spent less than before, but I want to see Florio’s actual cap dollars list before you go crazy.

That said, yes, the Cards have spent less. No one can argue that. I think (although I don’t know) it has a lot to do with the potential work stoppage next season — some teams don’t want to spend lavishly if it’s possible games are missed. I think that it a big factor right now, combined with the weak economy. Arizona has taken hits as a state in this economy; that has a trickle-down affect on this organization (as a local business), like it or not.

On to your specific points:

— Boldin wasn’t traded solely because of money. We all know that relationship had soured. It was time to deal him after the last two years. I expect Steve Breaston to get an extension at some point. If Boldin stays, Breaston would be gone. Those are the economics for any team. You aren’t keeping three highly-paid receivers (unless you are the Cowboys, and like it or not, the Bidwills are not flush like Jerry Jones).

— Dansby, I believe, wanted out. They thought they had a deal with him the previous offseason. He balked, in part because I think he wanted out. I think, in the case of both he and Rolle, part of the decision to leave was about being in a bigger market and being considering more of a centerpiece than here. Neither guy was ever going to be “The Man” on a defense with Dockett and A-Dub. And I think both liked the idea of being in the East too. Yes, they got more money elsewhere, and that was still the biggest factor. The Cards went with Rhodes to replace Rolle and drafted Washington for Dansby (not thinking Hayes would be out long-term).

— You sign Bulger, after Anderson. Take yourself back to when all that went down. In that case, you might as well have dropped Leinart then, because in my opinion, he wouldn’t have done well knowing both Bulger and Anderson were sitting there. And who do you dump of the rookies? Skelton? Hall, whom they liked right away? Because you can’t have five QBs.

— This team is obviously going through a transition. It was going to as soon as Warner retired. Are they better off? It’s hard to argue against no. But again, each decision doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There are people involved on both sides, making choices. These are the choices that have led this team to where it is. As for the future, until a new CBA is hammered out, I’m not sure any plans are for certain.

FOR THOSE WHO DONT KNOW. ARIZONA JUST MADE A GREAT MOVE BY PICKING UP ALEX HALL. ITS THE GUY BELLICHICK OF NE WANTED TO REVIVE THE PASS RUSH ON HIS DEFENSE. GIVE ALEX HALL A CHANCE TO RUSH THE PASSER AND YOU HAVE A PRO BOWL LINEBACKER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. IN LIMITED PLAYING TIME FOR THE BROWNS, ALEX HALL HAD 4 SACKS AND 30 TACKLES. IN HIS COLLEGE CAREER HE AMASSED OVER 25 SACKS. THE MAN IS A SACK MACHINE. THE MANNY LAWSON TYPE OF PLAYER. IF HE WENT TO A BIGGER SCHOOL HE WOULD HAVE BEEN A FIRST ROUNDER. HE IS A PROTOTYPE OUTSIDE LINEBACKER. 6’5 250 RUNNING A 4.5 IN THEE 40. PUT HIM ON 3RD DOWN SUNDAY AND I GUARANTEE SACKS.

Hope junior sako is right, but it’s hard to imagine a guy on the street after Week 2 will come in and revive a pass rush. Let’s get to brass tacks:

1. Thus far, Joey Porter has been a huge disappointment. During the offseason (actually before last season was over), I was telling everyone I knew that he’d fit in perfect here. And unless a switch flips soon, I was dead wrong. Even if he isn’t getting to the quarterback for sacks, he needs to provide those “love taps” that other teams are putting on Anderson. If it means a 15 yard personal foul in the first quarter, I don’t care. It sets a tone that, badly, needs to be set.

2. My beloved Cards signed Anderson because the Rams hadn’t waived Bulger yet. To be sure, everyone knew it was coming, but it hadn’t happened yet and the team didn’t want to be left with no veteran to fall back on in the event Leinart didn’t work out.

Here’s what I do now — if the Cards want to salvage the season, call the Ravens and offer a 5th round pick for Bulger. Or bring Tim Rattay or someone like him back. Unfortunately, DA — as much as I like his tools — isn’t good at all against the blitz and as a result is injured far more than he is letting on. And as intriguing as Hall is, he isn’t close to ready yet. If we want to win the division, we need a veteran to come in and run the team.

3. I will preface this with the fact that I have been a huge Darnell Dockett fan since the day he was drafted. In fact, when the Cards were on the clock in the third round on Draft Day 2004 I was yelling at the TV for them to pick Dockett and my prayers were answered. I had his jersey by the preseason of 2005. So I’m a fan.

Nine-0, like Porter, needs to set a tone. I know he’s being doubled, but when he has a chance to get a hit on a quarterback he needs to go full force. In the past, I’ve seen Dockett use the quarterback’s helmet (still attached to the player) to help himself up after a play, and loved it. I’m just not seeing that this year, as I have in the past. This defense needs to play mean, and Dockett, Porter and Wilson need to lead the charge. So far, I’m only seeing Wilson rise to the occasion.

4. The coaching staff needs to end its love affair with Stephen Spach and bring back Anthony Becht. The pass protection needs him. And his hands are still good enough that he’s a reliable check-down. Spach wouldn’t make half the teams in the league.

5. When Beanie is ready to go, he needs to start. As much as Tim Hightower is a feel good story, nobody fears him. They fear Beanie, and you can see it. And when Beanie is running hard, it sets a tone offensively. Do not bury this guy.

@BC- Good point bringing up the Patriots game, although you fail to realize that game was played in heavy elements, not like our 110degree weather out here, and secondly IT WAS KURT WARNER!! You knew they were able to bounce back because they put up points unlike this year’s start.

@Darren- It’s been fun charting the throws/incompletions (yes against heavy pressure & yardage) and how they turn out. Playcalling has been very questionable, especially if the line doesn’t protect. DA has no touch on the much hated “checkdowns” in this system. The O-line has been playing to my expectation at this point in time (with only Sendlien playing the same position) that they are not to the point where they have that cohesion necessary to pick up the blitz every play. That is why I believed Leinart, aka Mr. Checkdown, gave us the best chance to win this season, it seemed to work for one team against the Niners (and yes it was D.Brees). But Whiz denied us that chance to at least see rather than wonder about Matt and M.Hall is not ready yet, which attested to that bewildered look as to “why was my throw intercepted” welcome to the league. Will write back in a few games, peace.

Its seems like. The cardinals think they get by with medicore talent this year I think we win this week but another ugly. Game from DA. But what’s new we seen this snice preseason. And he hasn’t gotten better at all

From Miami Post:
Dolphins coach Tony Sparano was effusive Monday in praising the leadership of inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, a free-agent signee in the off-season.

“One of his greatest strengths is that when he comes to the sideline in the middle of a game, he’s exactly like when you’re talking to him in the locker room,” Sparano said in the wake of the 14-10 victory at Minnesota. “He’s as level-headed as they come.

“You can make the correction. You can make the adjustment. He’s the quarterback (of the defense) now. After he hears it on the sideline, he can get everybody lined up. He can get everybody on the same page.

“He isn’t out there in the course of the game where you can’t get to first base with this guy. Never mind all the running and the hitting. The guy brings an awful lot to our defense and, little by little, is making us better.”

Dansby, a team captain, had nine tackles against the Vikings after registering eight against Buffalo.

How did we let this guy go? And he’s actually getting less $ this year than last! What does this say about the Cardinals front office.

To all those people who say greene had better drafts OF COURSE HE DID teams that finish in the bottom five get good drafts because they get a top 5 pick its hard to go wrong when your picking in the top ten. I would much rather have a coach that has to work harder in the draft picking in the 25-32 range becouse that means we are making the playoffs

how do you explain being #1 in the pass game (offense) in 2005 under D Green.. It wasn’t the colts, the pats or the saints, it was the cardinals with their losing record. Whizinhut arrived in 2007 and been mooching off that pass game since he’s been here. He added Breaston who is a good reciever but he’s not at the pro bowl level….plus he ran out our #2 reciever who made the probowl his ROOKIE YEAR.

Green brought in two the qb’s in Kurt and Matt. We all know what Kurt did but Matt we will never know because whisenhut lead with his ego . We are throwing the ball more then ever with a qb who has a 50% pass completion number. 41 times in the first game and 31 times in 20 minute of total possession time…if you break that down we would thown well over 40 time if we had the time and I know what you are going to say we were playing from behind.Whisenhut is being expose and they say he is in the top five for the

Whisenhut is being expose and they say he is in the top five for the HIGHEST PAID COACHES IS THE LEAGUE.

And if you don’t remember Whiz lost his cool when we got pounded by the eagles in that SB year and had our team out in the rain on a holiday practicing on how to tackle!
Don’t get me wrong Wiz is a better “Coach” than Denny but his talent eye is questionable at the least.
And this year with all of the Vets days off and cut training camp practicing it is showing on the field. He needs to light a fire and light it fast.
Oh and who built that SB team?

Very good analysis. I agree with everything you laid out and I hope some of the fans read and understand the issues and complications here. The loss of Kurt, Boldin, Dansby, Rolle was realistically unavoidable. It is what it is and we have to try and recover from it. How well Whiz does under these circumstances will eventually show how good a HC Whiz is. In the meantime he should be cut some slack to deal with all the issues he has and DA needs a little more rope too. The coaches have a lot of things to deal with now to get this team playing together and also coach up DA. They have to do this before we can lay all the offensive problems at the doorstep of the QB.

To be honest with you at this point the coach I am casting a critical eye on most is Bill Davis, our D was not in the proper positions in the Atlanta game. An observation that was also made by Brian Billick during the game at the time that Atlanta was gashing us in the run game.

Denny had one of the best pass games because the Cardinals had one of the NFL’s worst rushing teams since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger, a span (at that time) of 25 years. They had to pass. And they never scored that season, so what was the point?

Denny did bring in some talent, but beyond that first great class (picking third, first and first in the first three rounds to get Fitz, Dansby and Dockett), comb through that list and tell me who came besides those three? Wilson and Boldin were already here when Denny showed up. I will give you Antonio Smith, Rolle ( a top 10 pick), Gabe Watson and even Leinart if you think he didn’t get a fair shake. Not exactly an extensive list.

You can’t work in these absolutes. There are always shades of gray. Again, criticize Whisenhunt if you think it’s necessary. But make sure you use the right facts.

Come on alex hall, I’m not expecting miracles but hopefully he gives us something. You know before we got joey, we wanted kamerion wimbley baddddd and we face him this weekend, thank God he’s a free agent after the season.

Darren — I’m no Green fan, but the 2004 draft was the best one we’ve had. In addition to Fitz, Dansby and Dockett, we picked up Alex Stepanovich (a starter for a couple of years) in the fourth, Antonio Smith (DE starter in the Superbowl) in the fifth, and Nick Leckey (starter for one year) in the sixth. But even if you add just Smith to the list of boom picks, it’s a good draft.

Another great draft that people forget is 2003. Yes, it will be remembered as the draft where the Cards did NOT take Suggs, choosing instead Pace and Johnson. Yes, big mistake.

But then look at what came later: Boldin. Hayes. Reggie Wells. And Pace gave us one good year at LB before he left for big money from the Jets.

Also am looking forward to your comments on my post above – or at least the report that you’ve shown it to Porter and Dockett. I want to see some helmets popping off in the stadium on Sunday!

Just read that the Skins released Larry Johnson. Sure hope he doesn’t end up here! Whoever makes these decisions, I would hope would talk to Todd Haley first. KC sure got better after they traded him and his stinkin thinkin. Maybe this is an unfounded concern but we have a way of picking up players who will play cheap just to play.

I am reaching a little if all picks are equal. But all aren’t. Both were second day picks that actually played meaningful minutes for us and were picked up by other teams based on that experience. And the second day steal that year was Smith. You can’t ask for a better draft then to get four quality starters out of it. And that’s what we got in 2004.